Buggy-top



(No Model") J. H. HOWE.

BUGGY TOP.

No. 251,232 Patented Dec. 20,1881.

WITNESSES INVENTOR:

4 BY ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

JAMES H. HOWE, OF OONNEAUT, OHIO.

BUGGY-TO P.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 251,232, dated December 20, 1881. Applicatipn filed August 11, 1881. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES HENRY HoWE, of Gonneaut, Ashtabula county, Ohio, have invented a new and Improved Buggy-Top, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to provide a. new and improved buggy-top which is of simple construction, is light and durable, and can be folded and raised very conveniently and rapidly.

Theinvention consists in a buggy-top formed of a single bow, to which front and rear sliding arms are pivoted at the ends of the bow, which arms are braced by hinged or jointed braces pivoted to the bow andto the sliding side arms, which braces have a short rod pivoted thereto at the joint for operating them.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is an end elevation of my improved buggy-top, showing it raised. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same; and Fig. 3 is an end elevation of the buggy-top, showing it folded.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The bow A, which is pivoted to a carriage or buggy seat in the ordinary manner, is provided at the ends with double loops B B, projecting from the opposite longitudinal edges of the top of the bow. To these loops B side arms, 0, are pivoted, composed of a part, D, pivoted to the loops B, and an overlapping part, E, sliding on the part D, the ends of the part D being bent sidewise to overlap or embrace the part E and the end of the part E being bent sidewise to overlap or embrace the part D. The parts E are united at the ends by a cross-piece, G, and by a crosspiece, F. The bentor rounded ends of the opposite crosspieces G are united by a flexible band or strap, H, which is drawn taut when the top is raised. A brace, J, with a hinge or joint at or near the middle, is pivoted to the upright L of the bow A and to the sliding part E of the arm 0 at or near the cross-piece F. A short rod, K, is pivoted to the brace J at its joint.

The buggy-top folds as follows: If the short rod Kis pulled downward, the brace J will be bent downward at its middle and the part E of the arm 0 will slide up the part D, and at the same time this arm 0 will fold down against the upright L of the bow A. If the top is to be raised, the short rod K is pushed upward, whereby the brace J will be stretched and the arms 0 lengthened until the bands or straps H and the covering of the top are drawn taut. If this top is folded, as shown in Fig. 3, the dust, 860., is excluded from the inside of the top, and the leather covering of this top is not wrinkled or cracked.

If desired, the herein-described construction can also be applied to-a three-bow buggy-top by leaving off the front bow and making the front half of the top according to my construction. When folded the front half of the top will cover the entire buggy-top like a Shell, and will keep dust and dirt from the lining of the top. As no front bow is required for my improved buggy'top, a person can get in and out of the vehicle conveniently without requiring the top to be folded down.

Having thus described my invention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A carriage or buggy top made, substantially as herein shown and described, with a single bow having hinged sliding side arms and folding braces, as set forth.

2. In a carriage or buggy top, the combination, with the bow A, of the hinged sliding side arms, I, and the folding braces J, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

3, In a carriage or buggy top, the combination, with the bow A, of the hinged sliding side arms, 0, the folding braces J, and the rod K, pivoted to the braces at the hinge orjo nt, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

4. In a carriage or buggy top, the combination, with the bow A, of the arms (J, composed of the hinged parts I) and the sliding parts E, the cross-pieces F and G, the bands H, and the folding braces J, substantially as herein shown and described, and for the purpose set forth.

JAMES HENRY HOWE.

Witnesses:

(End 0. BoNNY, ELIAS HIcKs. 

